Safe boating week taking place at Elk Island National Park
Posted May 25, 2023 2:52 pm.
Last Updated June 6, 2023 9:06 am.
Bill Vandermeer spends a lot of his time kayaking at Elk Island National Park, but ensure he’s safe while doing it.
“We always wear a life jacket, in the kayak and canoe we always have a throw rope incase we need to throw something out to someone, and if its windy, we’re often along shore instead of out in the middle,” he explained. “We’re always kind of playing it safe.”
Those are the types of precautions Parks Canada wants to see everyone take when recreating on the water this summer.
“Safety is a shared responsibility,” said Dale Kirkland, park superintendent at Elk Island National Park.
“There is a minimum safety equipment that is required on these pleasure craft vessels. What we are seeing here at Elk Island, is unfortunately we are seeing a number of people using kayaks, canoes, stand ups and rubber dinghy that aren’t wearing or carrying the safety equipment.”
Elk Island Park. (Photo Credit: Laura Krause, CityNews)
Elk Island National Park has seen an increase in visitors in recent months with the unseasonably warm weather, but says they’ve already had to respond to a few occurrences of people being in trouble on the water.
“Which is great to see, because recreating out on Astotin lake is a great experience, but unfortunately we’ve had to respond already to a few occurrences of people being in trouble on the water, having to respond and rescue, and unfortunately those people we’ve had to assist aren’t wearing life jackets,” said Kirkland.
“And unfortunately those people we’ve had to assist aren’t wearing life jackets. We are asking out visitors to do their part, and make really good decisions about being safe, and taking the right steps to be safe in and around water,”
Kirkland says they’ve had to respond to just over 30 water rescues in the last three years and asks everyone to always wear a life jacket, bring essential supplies, and to check the weather ahead of time.
“Most importantly is wear a life jacket. We highly recommend you wear a lifejacket when recreating on any water body here in the park.”
